There will be no playoff beards this year for the Coquitlam Express.
A critical sweep has postponed the thought of moral victories for another day.
A Coquitlam Express team that's only made two stops at the "Winnersville" station in 2013 visited the Langley Events Centre on Tuesday.
The Langley Rivermen were looking to halt one streak while extending another Friday night at Coquitlam's Poirier Sports and Leisure Centre.
A double dose of bad luck turned a strong road effort into another tough loss for the Coquitlam Express.
Although the fiscal cliff may have been averted, there's a different cliff that the Coquitlam Express are trying to steer clear of.
There were accomplishments aplenty by local athletes and teams in 2012, from teenage gridiron stars who rolled undefeated through a long football season to be crowned provincial champions, to the Coquitlam junior Adanacs' fourth straight Minto Cup run - and second straight runnerup status.
Somewhere along the Cariboo Highway, momentum made a wild dash and left the Coquitlam Express to their own devices.
If the Langley Rivermen had as much success away from the confines of the Langley Events Centre as they've had inside the LEC, they'd be sitting near the top of the B.C. Hockey League's Mainland Division.
Movember is upon us, which brings big games aplenty. Local sports fans can get their fill of knock-out affairs in both high school football and national college soccer.
That's the message Langley Rivermen head coach Bobby Henderson is sending to his players as the junior A hockey team looks to win more consistently.
Home ice has been a tough row to hoe for the Coquitlam Express.
Home ice continues to befuddle the Coquitlam Express.
It was the kind of first that he had hoped for - and it came in just his second start.
The line of Josh Hansen, Luke Esposito and Austin Plevy combined for 16 points over two games as the Chilliwack Chiefs put the brakes on the Mainland Division-leading Coquitlam Express last weekend.
Like their team name, the Coquitlam Express are prone to picking up steam.
Defensively, the Coquitlam Express appear to be ready to take the next step into the B.C. Hockey League's elite.